


Unfortunate Beginnings

by maerzkindt



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ed is obsessed with matching socks, F/M, Fluff, Ling makes bad puns, New Year's Eve, everyone makes fun of Ed, everything goes wrong but that's what makes life interesting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-09-13 17:45:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9134551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maerzkindt/pseuds/maerzkindt
Summary: Ed wants to serve baked duck because Ling, Lan fan and Mei are coming over for New Year’s Eve. It goes as well as you would expect. What a great start into the new year.





	

**Author's Note:**

> this is a gift for dude-againjustwhy.tumblr.com for the fullmetal alchemist secret santa 2016. happy holidays to you all!

The duck was doomed from the moment Ed realized he was wearing different socks on each foot- an unacceptable situation that immediately called for a solution. Cursing, he had disappeared into the bedroom and had remained there until Winry returned from the supermarket.

Still panting from dragging three heavy bags up to the fifth floor, she found the apartment filled with an alarming stench and the duck still in the oven, quickly nearing the point of spontaneous ignition.

The following shouting match saw Ed denying any responsibility, Winry gesturing to the clock every few seconds to emphasize that THE DUCK SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN OUT 20 MINUTES AGO AND IT WAS, IN FACT, HIS FAULT and finally Al coming home from his walk in the park (a tradition he observed on the last day of every year). He ended the dispute by blasting Ed’s favourite metal version of Auld Lang Syne from the speakers in the living room, which drowned out both their screams.

“Now”, he said while turning down the music to a less-than-earpiercing level, “what exactly is the problem?”

Another ten minutes later the problem had been sufficiently outlined from the view of both parties and the moment came for Al to draw a conclusion: dinner was ruined and they were kind of fucked.

That was also the moment when the door bell rang.

***

“I appreciate the effort, you know”, Ling said while opening another can of beer. “I mean, it still wouldn’t have been nearly as good as Fu’s, but I would have eaten it anyway.”

“It would have been ten times better!”, Ed boasted from his spot on the sofa, his head in Winry’s lap. “It would have blown your taste buds and your mind at the same time… hey!” He shot Al a grim look to stop him from giggling.

“No, you’re right, Edward”, said Lan Fan, her face a stone mask of seriousness. “It was a brave attempt at greatness. That duck wanted to fly.”

“You’re just making fun of me, aren’t you.” Ed pouted a little until Winry smothered him momentarily with a kiss.

“Too bad it crashed and burned”, Lin whispered while Ed couldn’t hear it. Al fled into the kitchen, shaken by seizures of suppressed laughter.

***

Mei’s tiny car pulled up in the driveway exactly four minutes before midnight, the trunk crammed with boxes of pyrotechnics. It took her two minutes to run up to the apartment and another minute until Winry heard her banging on the door - Ed had turned Auld Lang Syne on again.

“We can still make it!”

They practically tumbled down the stairs in wild haste, Ed in the lead, Lan Fan with Mei on her back because her short legs couldn’t keep up. They had almost reached the door on the ground floor when everyone assembled in the courtyard outside began to cheer and toast each other. Winry dramatically screamed “NOOOOOO!”, Ed stopped dead in his tracks, Ling bumped into him and Mei was almost flung off of Lan Fan’s back.

Al began to laugh, and after a moment they all laughed with him, embracing each other and sinking to the floor as a pile of tangled limbs.

“Happy New Year!”, shouted Ed, and then “get off, Ling, you’re crushing me!”

A few seconds later he’d been freed and they headed out into the courtyard. The air was filled with white smoke and the deafening noise of jumping crackers. A rocket rose from the ground and after a moment a flower of colourful light blossomed against the pitch black sky. While the others went to unload the fireworks from Mei’s car, Winry pulled Ed aside. Trapped between her body and the wall, her eyes like sparklers in the darkness, he swallowed hard.

“Worst New Year’s ever?”, he whispered.

“The absolute worst”, Winry replied. Then she kissed him, and suddenly he didn’t even mind anymore that he still wasn’t wearing matching socks.


End file.
